Controlling device for pulp-refining engines



A Patented oct. 2, 1928. UNITED l. I. l. y Y Y viv ARTHUR. J. LouAN, or UNCAsvILLE, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNon or CNE-r To w nnowN, or UNCAsvInnE, CONNECTICUT.

v CONTROLLI-Ne DEVICE non rUnr-nErINING ENGINES.

` Application led January 20, 1928. Serial No. 248,071.

This invention relates to certain improvements on means for controlling the operation of that type of pulp refining engines known as Jordan engines, in which a conical a grinding 'roll or plug is mounted for rotation ina casinghaving an internally conical cooperating bed. j

Prior to my invention the position of the y plug with relation to the bed has been conl trolled by an adjusting screw, located at one end of the plugin line with its shaft, adjustment thereof being made to regulate the tine ness of the pulp and to take up the wear of the knives, so that the edges, of the knives of the plug will be held in the desired relation with those of the bed. In practice the plug is adjusted to a position in which the desired degree of fneness of pulp is secured, but it is Y largely left to the operators to see that this de# f gres of -iineness is maintained. The question as to whether the correct adjustment of the plug is being maintained has usually been deteed by two methods, aside from the method of ma an yexamination of the pulp. First by the feel of the adjusting screw and second by observation of the load on the motor which is driving the shaft of the grinding plug. That is, the operator can tell, in a general way, by the force required so to move the plug towards the bed whether adjustment is necessary by the force required to move it. Also a decrease of the load on the motor, other conditions being unchanged, usually indio that adjustment is necessary.

Under normal conditions therefore, the force with which the plug must be held up to the bed knives to secure a required condition of pulp is practically constant, and to maintain this constant force with the equipment j now in general use is'very diificult if not impossible as a practical matter.

The primary object of my invention is to provide means for controlling the position of the grinding plug of a Jordan engine whereby the force with which the plug is held in operative'relation with the bed knives is constantly maintained automatically.

I accomplish this object by providing Huid," pressure operated means for forcing the plug towards the bed knives, the pressure in which is automatically maintained at a predetermined point, which may be varied according to the conditions required. 4

l For a more complete description of my in# Ysource for supplying `water at a constantly vention and the means which I preferably employ` in connection therewith, reference isg made to the accompanying drawing in which;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a Jordan engine provided with a preferred embodiment of my invention and Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal seotional view thereof on a larger scale.

In the drawings l0 indicates the casing of 65 an ordinary pulp refining engine of the Jordan type having an internally conical bed and having a trunco-conical roll, or plug 12 therein, which will be provided with the usual knives on its conical surface adapted to Cooperate with the knives of the bed, said plug has axially extending shafts 14: and 15, at its ends, the shaft 14 extending from the smaller end of the plug and an electric motor, or other source of power (not shown) is conneoted thereto, to drive the same. The shaft l5, in addition to being journalled inthe plug casing, is also journalled in a combined jour-v nal and thrust bearing 16 of any suitable type, the type shown having the bearing and g@ shaft provided with cooperating annular flanges and grooves. l

The bearing 16 is mounted for sliding movement longitudinally of the shaft 15 on a suitable frame or support 18 and is rigidlyV connected to a piston rod 20 having a double faced piston 21 thereon located'in a cylin` der 22.

The end of the cylinder opposite the end at which the piston rod enters is in open communication with a pipe 24 having a two way Valve 25 therein arranged. eitherv to place the cylinder in open communication with a pressure pipe 26, or to open the cyllnder to a waste pipe 27. The pipe 26 is connected to an 95 adjustable pressure reducin valve 28,'of.v any well known type which wil serve the purpose, having a regulating screw 29, and said valve is in .turn connected to any` suitable maintained pressure, preferably substanf tia-lly in excess of any pressure which may be required for the purpose, a pump' 30 being indicated, for the purpose of illustrating such v mQIlSg 105 With the above described arrangement water under a predetermined pressure. is delivered from the pressure reducing valve 28,

f thru pipe 26 to cylinder 22 and the ressure therein acting on pistonl 2l, vforces t e bears 110 the bed knives 'communication with ing 16, and consequently the shaft 15 and plug 12, towards the bed knives of the cas-` ing, the degree of pressure necessary to force the plug into sufficiently close proximity with to secure the desired neness of pulp beine determined by suitable adjustment of the regulating screw 29 of the valve 28.

As the cylinder is thus in constant open a constantly maintained Huid pressure supply,`obviously the plug will always be pressed towards the bed knives with the same force, and if leakage should occur at any point, the deficiency will be supplied. Also as the knives on the plug and casing wear down, the pressure lwill act to move the plug so as to take up this wear so that the results secured will be uniform. A pressure gage 32 is preferably connected to the :ylinder and a safety valve 34 may also be connected thereto, to prevent excessive pressure in the cylinder.

As it is at times necessary away from the bed knives, a pipe 36 is connected to the pipe 26 and is also connected to the opposite end of the cylinder fromthat previously referred to through a two way valve 37 which will be normally closed and will normally place this side of the cylinder in open communication with a waste pipe 38. With this arrangement, if it is desired to move the plug in the direction away from the bed knives, the valve 25 will be opened to waste, so that the piston will be free to move in this direction -and the valve 37 will be opened to connect pipe 36 with pipe 26.

With the above described means for controlling the position of the plug, under normal conditions of operation the plug will be practically floating that is, under certain conditions of excess load which might tend to cause breakage, the plug will yield, while under other conditions it will be moved towards the bed knives, and under all conditions it will be forced towards the knives with any uniform pressure which conditions may require. While under these conditions, if the pu p supply to the casing yshould fail, the edges of the knives would be brought into contact and cause excessive wear, the arrangement of the blades is such that they would not interlock and under ordinary conditions, and the plug would be immediately moved back so that the blades would not engage.

By taking note of the pressure required in the cylinder to secure the different degrees of ineness of pulp, or other conditions which may be required, any desired result in this regard may be readily secured by adjusting the pressure reducing valve to maintain the corresponding pressure required.

I claim:

1. In a pulp ing an internally conical bed, a conical beatto move the plug refining engine, a casing having, roll arranged therein for axial rotation and for movement axially into operative relation withy said bed, and iuid pressure operated means for moving the roll axially towards the bed and for holding it in operative relation therewith under a predetermined pressure.

2. Ina pulp refining engine a casing having an internally conical bed, a conical lbeating roll arranged therein for axial rotation an for movement axially into operative relation with said bed, fluid pressure operated means for moving the roll axially towards the bed and automatic means to maintain the fluid 'pressure in said fluid pressure operated means at a predetermined point, 1n all positions of the moving parts thereof.

3. In a pulp refining engine, a casing having an internally conical bed, a conical beating roll arranged therein for, axial rotation and for movement axially into operative relation with said bed, a fluid pressure chamber having a pressure operated membervarranged for engagement with said roll, to move the same into operative relation with said bed,

and means to Amaintain a constant fluid pressure in said chamber to hold the roll in said relation with a constant force.

4:. In a pulp refining engine, a casing having an internally conical bed, a conical beating roll arranged therein for axial rotation and for movement axially into operative relation with said bed, a fluid pressure chamber having a pressure operated member arranged for engagement `with sai-d roll, to move the same into operative relation with said bed, a fluid pressure supply opening to said chamber, a fluid pressure regulator in said supply for controlling the pressure in means to adjust said regulator to vary the pressure which is maintained in said cham- 5. vIn a pulp refining engine, a casing having an internally conical bed, a conical beating roll arranged therein for axial rotation and for movement axially into operative relation with said bed, a fluid pressure chamber having a pressure operated member arranged for engagement with said roll, to move the same into operative relation with said bed, a fluid supply pipe opening to said chamber, a fluid pressure reducing valve connected at its ldelivery Vend to said pipe, means for constantly supplying fluid at arelatively high pressure to said reducing valve, and means permitting adjustment of said reducing valve to vary the pressure to be maintained 1n said chamber. l

6. In a pulp refining engine, a casin having an internally conical bed, a conica beating roll arranged therein for axial rotation and for movement axially into operative .re-

ber having a piston therein, connections between said piston and roll whereby movesaid chamber and ment of said piston in either direction will f f -said regulator.

maaar? .of said piston, valves in said pipe to control the supply to either side thereof, a Huid pressure regulator connected to said pipe and source of Huid pressure supply connected to 7 In a pulp refining engine, a casing having an internally conical bed, a conical beating roll arranged therein and having am'ally disposed shafts at each end on which it -is 4 rotatably mounted and movable axially, a combined thrust and journal bearing in which one of said shafts is mounted, a. piston connected to said bearing, a cylinder in which said piston is located and means to maintain a constant pressure in said cylinder irrespective of th position of the piston therein.

` name to this specication.

ARTHUR J. LOMAN. 

